Bayern Munich Bans Two British Tabloid Newspapers For Schweinsteiger Insults

Bayern Munich have banned British tabloid newspapers The Sun and The Daily Mirror from attending the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester United next week, after deeming headlines about Bastian Schweinsteiger to be insulting.

The articles were published in the wake of the experienced midfielder’s controversial red card in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday, using insulting headlines such as ‘You dirty Schwein’ and ‘You Schwein’ as a pun on the German word ‘pig.’

Bayern have condemned the newspapers for a ‘discriminatory, personal insult and disrespectful regard’ and have confirmed they will not allow reporters from both of those newspapers into the Allianz Arena for the return leg next week.

Bayern stated that the articles did not adhere to UEFA’s ‘respect’ principles in the European competition, receiving their recent sanction for an offensive banner against Arsenal in the 1-1 draw as further proof of their own commitment to the campaign.

Schweinsteiger, who scored the goal for Bayern on the night at Old Trafford, was sent off in the dying moments of the match for two bookable offenses, the second following a late challenge on Wayne Rooney.

Bayern’s official statement says,

“FC Bayern Munich will not accept the style of coverage and strongly condemns it. UEFA calls for ‘RESPECT’ in the Champions League – a big European wide campaign.

“Every player wears this logo on their jersey during the game and every participant of the competition is obliged to adherence of ‘RESPECT’. Because of a violation against this agreement by four spectators that showed disrespectful banners during the home match in the first leg of the round of the last 16 against Arsenal in Munich’s Allianz Arena, Bayern was sanctioned with a 700-seat ban as well as fine of €10,000. This is accepted by us.”

What kind of sense of humor is there in calling a person a pig for no reason? A pig for what? A foul that wasn’t? A foul that had it happened in the PL would have been lamented that the player had a clean tackle and the opposite player dived!

There are more Americans who speak German than English people. Schwein is one of the few German words that most people know so seriousness in German doesn’t translate into English. Pig isn’t such a harsh word in English too. They are only guilty of lazy punning but Bayern and German people need to not be too serious. Reactions like this makes Germans look worst and match the stereo-type that Germans have no sense of humour.

Bayern do nothing to dispel the English stereo-type that Germans don’t have a sense of humour.

Firstly French, Spanish and Italian are more widely spoken in England than German so English writers might not be aware of the seriousness of the word, that has been popularised in England in Videogames and comedy war films. Schwein is one of the few German words English people widely know. So a German player whose name starts with one of few German words English people know is classic lazy tabloid punning.

But the offence Bayern, the German media and German public have taken to this silly pun is a little ridiculous. Reading the comments section in Bild reaction is way over top, criticising everything about England. There is certainly an under current of bitterness and envy.

Part of me thinks the tabloid editors do more offensive headlines when German play because they know they get a bigger reaction from Germans.

Germans are really insecure when it comes to the British because they can’t handle that Britain is Europe’s most influential country globally. Germans say terrible things about British people, but the Brits don’t care because Germany is an irrelevant country to the UK culturally. People don’t mention that Die Welt a serious newspaper in Germany called Rooney fat and lazy. Germans should be offended by English tabloids and move on the 2nd World War is over and England can’t help being a cooler and more interesting place than Germany.